Sunday, January 26, 2014

On Saturday afternoon, I ventured into Smitty’s Cinema
for a viewing of “Lone Survivor”, which is the biopic story of Marcus
Luttrell’s team from Navy SEAL Team 10 and their harrowing tale of Operation
Red Wings. The movie, directed by Peter Berg, is adapted from Luttrell’s “Lone
Survivor” memoir, which was co-authored by Patrick Robinson.

The movie begins with a gaggle of Navy SEALs all hanging
around, waiting for their next mission. It is here that we see that not only
are these men warriors, but they are also human, with families, girlfriends,
and a penchant for teasing the new guy on the team. Within a few minutes, the
team is notified that Luttrell, portrayed by (Marky) Mark Wahlberg, LT Michael
Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), PO2 Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch), and PO2 Matthew “Axe”
Axelson (Ben Foster) are going to be sent out into the mountains of Afghanistan
to search for a suspected Taliban leader Ahmad Shah.

After being dropped off via helicopter, the men navigate
the treacherous terrain until they eventually arrive at a spot in which they
can view their target. Their problems begin when they have difficulty
establishing contact with their headquarters. They are then discovered by a
group of goat herders that is sympathetic to the Taliban fighters at the bottom
of the hillside. They capture the herders, only to argue over what should be
done with them given their situation. LT Murphy makes the command decision to
let them go and to retreat back to an area where their radio and satellite
phone may work. Before they can make it away, however, a large group of Taliban
fighters find them and pin the SEALs down before they can communicate their
position.

From this event, Dietz, Axelson, and Luttrell were all
awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy’s second highest award for valor. Dietz and
Axelson’s awards were posthumous, as both men were killed in the assault. LT
Michael Murphy was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery
that day, as he knowingly sacrificed his life by placing himself in an open
position, exposed to the enemy, to make the call to higher command.

Following the deaths of his teammates, Luttrell, although
terribly wounded, managed to make it to a point where peaceful villagers saved
and protected him from the Taliban until United States forces rescued him.

This movie is, hands down, the best war movie since
“Saving Private Ryan”. Personally, I can’t imagine how someone could live
through such an event. Luttrell put it all out there for the common man to see,
as if to say, “See, America? This is the type of stuff the military contends
with!” I was fortunate enough during my service that I never had to go through
any sort of ordeal like the SEALs of Operation Red Wings. I have seen the
aftermath of the battles in war, however, and it is hell. There is no
glamorization of war in this movie.

The movie is rated R for language and violence. I almost
brought my 14-year-old daughter to see this with me, but afterwards, I was glad
I didn’t. Some kids can handle the type of brutal violence that this movie
contains, but most can’t. This is a movie based on real events and sticks close
enough to the story that Luttrell himself makes an appearance at the beginning
of the film.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

“Paranormal
Activity: The Marked Ones” is the fifth chapter in the extremely popular and incredibly
profitable supernatural horror film series. Even though it takes place after
the events of “Paranormal Activity 4”, the subtitle of this movie goes to show
that it is really more of a spinoff than a sequel. I loved the original film released
in 2009, but the way I see it, the quality of the movies in this franchise
steadily declined as the series continued. Unfortunately, this pattern is
maintained with the release of yet another film in this seemingly never-ending
saga.

“The
Marked Ones” is centered on Jesse and Hector, two Latino teenagers living in
Oxnard, California. Early on in the film at Jesse’s high school graduation
party, the two use Hector’s new camera to investigate the mysterious death of
their creepy neighbor, Anna. It doesn’t take them too long to discover that she
was a witch as they find many items related to black magic and witchcraft while
searching her house.

When
he wakes up the next morning, Jesse notices a large bite mark on his arm that
looks like it came from some sort of animal. Suddenly, he has new supernatural
abilities including inhumane strength and levitation skills. Despite how
ridiculous it seemed, it was fairly entertaining to watch Jesse use his powers
to pull off amazing tricks on his skateboard and even throw his enemies through
the air like he was some sort of superhero. As time goes on, Jesse becomes even
more powerful and dangerous, posing a potential threat to his friends and
family.

“The
Marked Ones” may be the most action packed film of the franchise, but it truly
lacked the creepy factor of the earliest installments. The climax of this movie
was basically an extended sequence of extremely predictable jump scares. In
contrast, what I loved most about the first “Paranormal Activity” was the fact
that it scared me far beyond the actual viewing of the movie. Despite its
insanely low budget and simple special effects, the film stuck with me and made
it incredibly difficult to fall asleep at night. “The Marked Ones” completely
failed to do that; by the time I got home from the theater, I could hardly
remember what I just saw. Don’t be expecting much more than some jump scares
and a few good laughs from what is yet another forgettable “Paranormal
Activity” movie.

He stepped back and smothered the few live ashes that
landed on the hearth rug, ignoring the twinge from his sore ankle. As good a
diversion as any to keep from pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

Gingerly, with the help of the broom, Karrie retrieved
the carcass and wrapped it in a plastic bag. "I'll put this in the outside
trash barrel."

He looked out the window. "It's dark and the
fireworks-the outside ones-will start soon. How about this? I'll work on the
fire. You prepare the food. 'Cause I'm a lousy cook."

"Based on my karma today, a lousy cook may be the
better option."

Jack laughed. "Or make it even worse."

She sent a mock frown in his direction before going into
the kitchen. Leaning against the doorjamb, he watched as she quickly blended
the cream cheese and minced clams. After tasting the dip, she scooped it into a
dish. Opening the jar of salsa, she poured that into another bowl.

"Okay?"

She nodded. "Seems to be."

He heard voices as people began to gather outside. "Let's
go." He slipped into his jacket and held Karrie's for her. Donning hats
and scarves, they were ready to brave the falling snow.

* * *

Karrie paused on the front porch for a moment. A bonfire
blazed in the circle of the cul-de-sac. The campfire ring had been there as
long as the camps. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

By city standards, the display was small. Mostly roman
candles. Some whistled, some crackled and some glittered. Around the fire,
three-foot sparklers alternated with morning glory sparklers. At the end was a
nice finale with a shower-burst.

The light snow made it even more magical. Everyone ooohed
and aaahed.

As the falling snow thickened, people drifted away from
the fire and back to their camps.

Back inside Birch Haven, curled on the rug in front of
embers in the fireplace, the cat greeted them with a yawn and a meow.

"Looks like I have a new pet."

"What's her name--assuming it is a girl."

"I'm thinking Shadow, because that's how I saw her,
the first couple of times."

"Nice."

"Works if it's a boy or girl."

"You are so practical. I never would have thought of
that."

They settled in front of the fire on either side of the
cat, facing each other. This was a much better New Year's Eve than she'd
planned.

Karrie stroked Shadow's soft fur, not sure what she
wanted to happen next. Well, sort of sure, to be perfectly honest. She smiled
slightly.

Jack reached out and cupped her face with his hands. He
studied her for a long moment.

Suddenly shy, Karrie glanced away.

He leaned forward and kissed her, slow and soft. She
moaned, and he deepened the kiss. She forgot to breathe. Her blood heated as if
fireworks blazed inside her.

He lifted his head and gazed at her.

She smiled and shook her head. "This has been the
craziest New Year's Eve ever."

He grinned. "And the best."

THE END

Here's a taste treat for all my Campfire Circle fans, the
recipe that Karrie couldn't make, thanks to Shadow.

Salmon Cream Cheese Spread

1 pkg of frozen smoked salmon (4 oz.)

1 pkg of cream cheese (8 oz.)

Cream or milk

Prepared horseradish to taste (1/8+ tsp.)

Defrost the salmon and have the cream cheese at room
temperature. Break the salmon into pieces and put in food processor. Whirl
until minced. Add the cream cheese, 2-3 tablespoons of cream or milk (to aid
blending), horseradish (I use between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon) and salt and pepper,
if you wish. Whirl until blended. You may need to stop the food processor and
stir in some of the unblended clumps.

Put the mixture in a covered dish (if you plan on
hoarding it for yourself) or in a pretty bowl for a party. Absolutely delish
when spread on Ritz crackers.

Acknowledgments:

Ziploc is the registered trademark of S. C. Johnson &
Son, Inc.

Ritz crackers are the registered trademark of
Intercontinental Great Brands, LLC.

Brad Thor is a NYT bestselling author because he knows
how to construct a thriller. Thor avoids formulaic predictability in Hidden Order by weaving two imaginative plotlines,
creating some depth and texture. In this novel, the 12th in the Scot
Harvath series, Harvath mixes it up with two drop-dead beauties and a brilliant
ex-CIA agent. Hidden Order, 374
pages, was published by Simon and Schuster in 2013 and lives up to the
standards of Thor. It’s available at the Portland Public Library but currently
has a waiting list. It’s worth the wait if you like a jaunty and
fast-developing thriller.

Former SEAL Harvath is now employed by a super-secret
organization that is a private CIA/ FBI type of outfit and has fallen on hard
times. Apparently the outfit is extremely capable in all departments except
accounting. They might be saved by a contract with the Federal Bank that abhors
publicity like a vampire shrinks from a cross. And nobody wants the kind of
publicity they receive at the beginning of this tale. The five candidates for
the open chairmanship are being knocked off systematically with spectacular
cruelty and gruesome technique.

The simple-minded assassin is counter-intuitively
creative and combines his murderous proclivities with an academic soft spot for
history like an autistic savant. We are taken from a sick murder scene on the
outer banks of Georgia to the blood spattered “Freedom Trail” of Boston. The
killer focuses on the birth of the Fed and some colonial American personalities
that helped develop US monetary policies. Harvath teams up with an ex-CIA
genius, who has a grasp of the Fed’s sordid history, and a gorgeous Boston
detective to try to bring the killings to an end.

Meanwhile, along a parallel plotline, Lydia Ryan, current
CIA agent and drop-dead beauty number two, works on a case involving an
international plot to overthrow Middle Eastern governments. The two plots careen
towards each other to combine for a satisfying climax.

Federal Reserve policy might sound like some heavy
eyelids stuff, but Thor makes it work. He asks the reader to suspend belief which,
in these days of Internet and TV driven hyper-reality, is a tall (if not
hidden) order. And he brings on a well-paced, tightly constructed story built
around enticing, if not believable, characters. I checked reality at the door
and took a seat at the bar. I ordered a glass of entertainment and Thor
delivered.